Noeul Jung Tokyo, Japan
Noeul Jung
Tokyo, Japan
October
Minho, oraenmaniya,
How have you been? How is your family?
I’m sending this letter together with a painting from Japan. Right now, I’m sitting in a restaurant in Tokyo, enjoying sushi and a bowl of my favorite ramen while looking out at the city below.
Being here makes me miss you.
Visiting Tokyo was always our dream when we were younger. I’ve lost count of the nights we spent planning and fantasizing about coming here together. Do you remember how we planned to spend our last Christmas as university students in Tokyo?
Unfortunately, life had other plans for us.
As the weather grows colder, my longing for Christmas deepens. I wonder what wish I’ll make this year and whether it will come true. If I’m allowed to choose, I think I would ask for peace of mind and forgiveness.
What would you wish for?
As you know, I’ve been traveling and discovering new places. That alone has changed me. But alongside those journeys, I’ve begun a quieter one: learning how to live with gratitude and forgiveness. That’s actually how the idea of sending letters alongside my artwork was born.
And that brings me to you.
I will never forget our childhood memories. The days at the park, the late-night adventures, the laughter that left us breathless…those memories still live in me.
For a long time, I thought your betrayal had poisoned them too.
I don’t think that anymore.
What happened between us hurt me deeply, Minho. I won’t pretend otherwise. There are still moments when I hesitate before writing your name, unsure whether my forgiveness will hold. Maybe forgiveness isn’t something you decide once and never struggle with again.
But I remember what you told me when we met again. I know it wasn’t easy for you to ask for forgiveness after so many years. For that, I will always be grateful.
I don’t know whether we’ll ever become the friends we once were. Maybe we’re not supposed to. Too much has happened, and we’re no longer those boys at the park.
Jal jinae.
Noeul
P.S. The painting was inspired by our childhood friendship. It reflects the joy, innocence, and bond we shared back then.
Your betrayal affected me deeply, but I no longer want the worst thing you did to decide how I remember everything that came before it.
So, this is what I chose to paint.
Not the betrayal.
Us, before it.